I am taking a deep interest in the Polish question and
I think the reader should too.

It is quite true that for many religious, historical,
ethnic, and geographical reasons Poland of itself
merits special respect and affection from all Catholics. Consequently, current
events there should attract everyone's attention. But at the present we are led
to that conclusion by reasons of an even greater import. For the world, the
events in Poland
are constituted as a sign of the fu­ture. If the unique relationship, which a
newspaper has called "the Polish triangle," between the Warsaw government, the
episcopate, and the coalition of workers’ organizations labeled
"Solidarity" is successful, then something in communism has changed.
Or something has changed in the Church, and therefore, in the world. Something,
indeed, that until a while ago was steadfastly deemed immutable. How can I
affirm this?

Perhaps a metaphor would be appro­priate. Imagine that
a man announced that he had found a way to pour water (yes, real water) on fire
(yes, real fire) with no effect on either one. Imagine, furthermore, that he
decides to do it in public. The city opens its principal stadium for the
experiment. The bleachers and the whole field are crowded with curious
onlookers. The experiment is carried out in what seems to be an undisputably
authentic manner. In fact, large quantities of water poured over the fire
disconcertingly drench the coals of the huge bonfire without extinguishing it.
The water runs over the ground wetting the feet of the near­by spectators, who
are entertained, enchanted, and enthused.

Some of them, however, are silent. They make no
comments. They do not smile. They do not applaud. They do something much more
lucid: They become suspicious.

Yes, they become suspicious; for if water really no
longer puts out fire, everything in physics has to change. And therefore
everything in the life of men and the whole universe has to be changed. Either
this is true, or water still extinguishes fire — but if it does the art of deceit
has reached an unimaginable height. And today deceiving whole multitudes would
be just as feasible as it formerly was to trick a handful of rubes with the
shell game. Again, if the art of deception has reached such a point, it is
necessary to change everything.

Poland
is, in our days, like an immense stadium where, by the arts and magic of
international communism, the facts appear to tell the world that water no
longer extinguishes fire. Communism is no longer an enemy of Religion. They may
collaborate without destroying each other. There is more. From the water and
the fire, mixed as in synthesis, are born beautiful flowers that settle over
the people: Convergence, peace, the society of tomorrow, and still other
utopias.

I can see all over the world many people who smile,
dance, and sing at the sight of this. For my part, I am one of those who are
silent and suspicious. Has everything changed?

In what She is authentic and
infallible, the Holy Catholic Church has never changed, does not change, and
will never change. What, then, has changed? Out on the experimentation field,
that is, in Poland,
or more precisely, at the vertex of that "Polish triangle" — since
the vertex is the natural position of a government — is the Warsaw government. Now this is an
officially com­munist government which one must sus­pect very much — to say the
least — of being a puppet of the Kremlin.

Yes, of the Kremlin, the den where
for decades they have been studying, planning, directing and carrying to
victory the most unimaginable of wars with the most fabulous of successes. I am
talking about revolutionary psychological warfare. It is wholly made of snares,
frauds, and ingenious theatrical ploys by which Russia has been overthrowing
many nations and trampling them underfoot, nations that were themselves masters
of vast expanses of land. And it has been forcing government officials,
politicians, and executives of the most powerful nations to squat or kneel.

In brief, revolutionary psychological warfare is a
fabulous psychoprestidigitation. Poor Ali Baba, poor Alladin,
poor magic lantern, how little they are in comparison with it.

Now, I see the mysterious power that wages this war
precisely at the vertex of the "Polish triangle." It seems to me that
in Poland
it is directing events sometimes with the magic sleight-of-hand of a convergent
utopianism and sometimes with panic of war.

In such circumstances, how can I not suspect that by
taking the Polish experiment as an argument, communism is preparing to cry out
to the men of the Twentieth Century: "Look, don't fear me.
Everything has changed. I am water but I no longer put out the flame with my
negations. I can keep myself in power without harming your affirma­tions in the
least. My darkness can spread without prejudice to your light."

I see in a wide variety of countries and the most
diverse occupations learned, illustrious, and
experienced men who have rendered important services — about whose intentions I
cannot here raise the least doubt. They applaud the words of the
prestidigitator. They shake his hand. And so they participate in the festival
of naive pacifism the Polish experiment is stirring up.

Now for the moral of the story.
According to the news in general, the Warsaw government, the Polish
episcopate and the Solidarity movement have op­posing goals. However,
they cannot attempt to overthrow each other because that would give rise to a
revolution which in turn would bring about a Russian invasion. If it were not
for Rus­sia,
the three would be free to fight. But since Russia is there,
they are obliged to coexist, that is, to collaborate. Yes, for such coexistence
entails collaboration. In a communist regime, with communist laws and communist
police, the commu­nist cat at the vertex of the triangle permits the mice to
carry on a bit. He also bats them around a bit. He lets them have a bit of
cheese, a very little bit! And this may go on indefinitely until the mice faint…or worse.

Russia
is the great factor foreign to the Polish collaboration. Is it possible, then,
to admit that it is not interested in this demonstration that water and fire
are compatible? Is it not interested in seeing a beautiful flower blossom
there, a flower which propaganda shows the whole world, and whose seed it
scatters to the four winds?